Making the Choice!

Hey Blog readers~

So, I'm a smoker. Whew, it's out there! Seems like a four letter word these days, doesn't it? I work for Healthy Androscoggin, a great non-profit that educates about public health issues. Guess what our number one focus is?

Tobacco use.

Yea, so that makes me not just a smoker, but  a dirty smoker. A hide it at work, spray with scented spray, chew gum and pray no one notices smoker. Sound familiar?  I thought so.

A bit about me- I have been smoking since I was 17. I started smoking not at school, not at a party with friends. No, my first smoking partner was Helen, a crusty disgruntled older employee at the dry cleaners I worked my through high school at. She got a 10 minute break every hour to smoke, and I did not. So, I started smoking. I am now 31, and have been smoking for 14 years.  I swore I wouldn't smoke past 25, then 30. Clearly I am a little late on my goals.

Now, working here at Healthy Androscoggin, I have had training's on smoking cessation, the "stages of change", motivational interviewing, and cessation techniques. If knowledge is power, why am I still smoking?


At this point, I have the education. I have the tools. I even (finally) have the support from coworkers. The reason I am still a smoker: I am addicted. The nicotine, the tobacco, the cigarettes. The cigarette with the morning coffee. The cigarette after the meal. The cigarette after a drink with friends. The mindless driving cigarette. My personal favorite: the victory cigarette. (you know the one, when you get the job done, set the last brick, push send, clean the house, whatever... the victory one)

So, until now, the only thing missing was the choice to quit. MY choice. I have made the choice before. Indeed, many times. I have also followed that choice up with choosing to smoke again. Sometimes I stayed quit for months. The birth of a child. The summer. A couple weeks. Sometimes my quit only lasted hours.

Today, I am making the choice again. Want to know what all that tobacco education taught me? The more times I have quit, the MORE likely I am to stay quit on my next attempt. So. today I choose. January 9th will be the day I am no longer a smoker. (Doesn't that sound nicer than "the day I quit"? Who wants to be a "quitter"? Right?)

Yup. You read that right. Nearly 2 weeks away.  Choosing to quit doesn't mean throwing away the tobacco that moment. (though I have done that in the past) I thought about it, and I really want to be tobacco free, for good. The best way I can do that is to set my self up to succeed. So, I have a date. I have a "Nicotine Replacement Therapy" chosen. Not nearly as scary as it sounds. I am choosing the patch. Gum, lozenges, mints, and patches can be bought at the drug store. You can see your doctor for medicine, an inhaler or nasal spray. Regardless, I am going to need help, and you might too.

I signed up for Quit&Win as well. I will be getting tips and support from the program, and will get recognized for my efforts in February.

So, quit with me. Make the choice. Do it before the 10th of January and enter to win prizes through Quit & Win. One promise- I will keep it real. I will share the frustrating moments, the "I don't know if I can do this" moments. I will also share the tips and tricks I use. I will share my successes. The cigarette I said "no" to. The ability to breathe easier. The smells of things I had forgotten about.

Follow along, and quit with me. Make your choice.